This invention relates to smoke detection and alarm systems, and is more specifically directed to a system for detecting presence of smoke, such as tobacco smoke, in one or more zones within a building structure. The invention is also directed to systems that detect and alert to attempts to block air flow through the detection unit or to defeat the detection of smoking.
The invention is more particularly directed to a technique for detecting smoke in a confined area, such as a meeting room, bathroom, or conference room, for the purpose of enforcing indoor clean air laws and regulations.
Because of concern for the health of workers and customers, many businesses, government offices, and other organizations have taken steps to limit smoking, and thus avoid exposing persons within their offices to second-hand smoke. This concern has also resulted recent government legislation and regulation to promote clean, healthy indoor air, for example, the New York Clean Indoor Air Act. These concerns, coupled with the existence of enforcement provisions and penalties in the clean indoor air legislation, has created a need among employers and business owners for an effective system to detect smoking by company employees, customers, and visitors. This is especially required in small semi-private areas such as rest rooms, lounges, and meeting rooms.
Smoke detectors of various designs are common and well known. However, there has been no smoke detector proposed previously that also includes some means for alerting the building staff or business owner if there is an attempt to block the flow of indoor air to the smoke detector, or for providing a discreet alert to a central location if some attempt has been made to disarm the smoke detector, i.e., by simply unplugging it or cutting its signal wires.
Prior proposed arrangements for assisting in smoking rules enforcement include a combination smoke detector and flame detector, which may be situated behind the grille of a ventilating air duct, and hidden from view for detecting surreptitious smoking, e.g., in a rest room. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,608 to Kaufman. A smoking violation detector that may be incorporated into the roof of a portable toilet cabin has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,037 to Escamilla, Jr. In each case, detection of cigarette smoke by the unit can trigger an audible or visible alarm situated outside the room or area being monitored.
However, detection apparatus of the prior art have not concerned themselves with attempts to defeat the smoke detector, and no one has previously incorporated an intrusion or tamper detector, nor has anyone incorporated an airflow detector to alert to the absence of air flow from the monitored zone past the smoke monitor. In addition, the systems of the prior art have not addressed the need for a central monitoring station to continuously monitor the status of the detection units in several different zones within the building structure, nor have they concerned themselves with the need for a central monitoring station to distinguish between various events, such as presence of smoke, tampering, or absence of sufficient air flow affecting operative status of the respective units.